Energy! That was how Sunil Alagh was identified in the corporate world. He was so full of energy that the rumour was that he ate too many Glucose Biscuits. From a corporate head honcho, to an environment advocate, Sunil Alagh's has been a chequered career. A marketing guru whose clients come up to for advice today, Alagh's life has seen its share of ups and downs. After graduating in economics, Alagh got his MBA from IIM, Kolkata. He started his career with ITC and later moved to Jagatjit Industries. He then moved to Britannia in 1974. As in the previous companies, Alagh's tenure in Britannia had been a smooth one marked successes.

He rose to become managing director and CEO of the company in 1989. That is, till one fine day in 2003 he had to quit the job. Of course, it created a huge hue and cry in the corporate world, and also among shareholders. After all, in his nearly-30-year career in Britannia, he had played magic to the India's largest biscuit company. Under Alagh, Britannia went through two successful restructuring processes. First in the late 1990s when Britannia went through a major re-haul with the help of Shombit Sengupta's Shining Consulting, which saw the company getting strongly positioned on the health platform. And then again, when Britannia spun off its dairy business into a joint venture with New Zealand-based Fonterra Dairy.

At the same time, he also discharged his social responsibilities as a corporate figure. His area of interest is environment protection - especially the tiger. It was he who was responsible for mobilising one million school children that resulted in a project that came to be recognized by the Limca Book of Records as the largest Save the Tiger scroll in the world. By the time his services were brought to an end, Britannia was a listed company with a public shareholding of 53 per cent and a turnover of Rs 1,350 crore.

Has Alagh turned into a recluse? No. After all, energy is his other name. He moved into the consulting business and repeated his success there too. Today, he is the chairman of Mumbai-based SKA Advisors which is a business advisory / consultancy service with an emphasis on marketing and brand building strategies. His clients range from Biocon and Godfrey Phillips to medium scale manufacturers like Sapat (tea) and the Sarda Group which makes Vitamla health snacks, and says he's never felt so stimulated. He loves the under dog which is why he takes special interest in small and medium size enterprises. And his zest for discovering life continues. "I've now realised how little I knew in Britannia," he says.